The US Army recently fielded a vehicle configured to have a so-called "palletized loading system" wherein the load bed of the vehicle is essentially a huge pallet or flatrack that can be loaded off or on the vehicle as a unit. It is desired for certain cargos that a set of side walls be placed on the load bed's periphery to enclose the cargo. However, such side walls interfere with cable connections between tie downs just outboard of the bed and points inboard of the side walls. Holes in the side walls can address this situation. However problems arise in sufficiently reinforcing the walls and their connection to the bed so as to resist forces exerted by tie-down cables or straps.
I use a new approach in that my invention provides cable attachment points inboard of the side walls. In addition, my invention yields more versatility in reconfiguring a load bed than just adding or deleting side walls.
My invention uses a bed with pockets at the bed's outboard edges, the bottoms of the pockets having gaps. The pockets were not invented by me, but my invention includes passing specially designed clamps through the gaps. Each clamp has a mediate section in the pocket. The mediate section faces on the edge of the bed, contacts the pocket's opposed sides and faces toward the pocket's web. Legs of the clamp join the mediate section, and the legs bear on upper and lower bed surfaces, whereby the mediate section and legs form a "C" on the edge of the bed. A flange of the clamp extends inboard from one leg and has a cable connection point. In the clamp's upright position, the flange is above the bed and in the clamp's inverted position, the flange is below the bed.
My invention also includes stakes that fit into the pockets and provide support for wall units on the bed. Each stake has an upper step, lower step and a shank just below the lower step. The shank fits closely between the sides of the pocket. The shank also fits closely between the clamp's mediate section and the web. Each wall unit rests on one of the legs so that the flange is inboard relative to the wall unit. The wall unit has a panel faced on the stake between the steps, and the wall unit has frame members faced to the wall panel. The frame members closely fit the steps so that the panel, stake and frame members reinforce each other.